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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mug — to rob
  6. file — a tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mug — a cup
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. file — a document
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. mug — a face
  20. cold — an illness
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stand — to bear
  24. calf — of the leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com